Oh dear, just got 'music shopped'

[gafbass02]

Today i Went In to my local store looking for a reason to buy a guitar instead of an ipad with my christmas money.
I've had my eye a particular guitar and as they had one I really though I could be leaviing with it.
The guy talked me through the controls then just sat there playing blues riffs. (Last thing I'd want to play!)
Eventually he thrust it into my hands and wandered off. No talk through the amp or questions etc.
I played a few minutes, then hung it back up, I said how I wasn't really sure, (I felt too conspicuous sat in the middle of the shop to really relax with it !) he didnt look up, just, quite literally grunted. I tried another approach, and he barely audibly grunted again then stayed silent.
I left with my money.
Ffs.
Every time I go in that shop I'm reminded why I don't!!

Edited December 27, 2012 by gafbass02

[gary mac]

So dont go in there

They don't deserve your business.

[Billy Apple]

What guitar was it?

[Lifer]

FWIW the VM HH doesn't have all the switches, just pickup selector, tone and volume.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Lifer

[WalMan]

Ah yes that famous British service ethic.

Went looking for basses a while back. Asked to try a US P 5 and the arse plugged it into a 5W practice amp with a tiny speaker sat in the middle of a load of GenzBenz , TC & Ashdown gear. Begrudgingly plugged into something a bit more relevant and able to handle the B & fecked having turned the one knob compressor up. Funnily enough I walked shortly after that. The annoying thing being that the regular bass guy is always really helpful but was tied up with someone else at the time.

[Lifer]

GAK?

[JamesBass]

Went into Nevada Music last week as it is my local shop and I'm looking for my next bass, luckily they had a 4003 this time and I asked to try it out and the first thing the guy said was, "You actually gonna buy something then?" I thought I'll let it slide as I can't really get elsewhere currently due to lack of transport. The guy ended up plugging me into an Ashdown Tour bus, so after I badgered him into letting me try it through a worthwhile amp, still out on the shop floor right next time their radio system so had some god awful feedback coming through I decided yes this is the bass I wanna buy but I don't want the mapleglo finish, so I hand the 4003 over to him and he instantly scanned it into the till and said how are you paying for it. I walked out and I am NEVER going to go back in there! Horrible shop, rubbish stock of a few Fenders, millions of ESPs and Ibanez basses with the occasional MM or Ric.

Note to Nevada store guy, that is not how to give customer service and convince someone to buy from you!

[ezbass]

I'm afraid this is all very typical of how we view working in a shop, or any other service industry. Most of those working in these establishments are doing it as a stepping stone to something they consider 'worthwhile' and think their current position is below them. Of course this all translates into crap customer service. To be fair the companies employing them don't train them correctly as they also consider the job not worth having. For all of the shortcomings in US society they do seem to have a better attitude in this area leading to way better service. All this means that when you get proper customer service you really notice and will try as best as you can to go back to that establishment.

As a counter to this there is a music shop local to me where the service is very good, unfortunately they don't stock the stuff I'm normally after. I also received really good service from my local car dealer today, properly beyond the expected level of service one expects. So there are 'professional' service industry people out there, they're just few and far between

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1356626727' post='1911791']
Went into Nevada Music last week as it is my local shop and I'm looking for my next bass, luckily they had a 4003 this time and I asked to try it out and the first thing the guy said was, "You actually gonna buy something then?" I thought I'll let it slide as I can't really get elsewhere currently due to lack of transport. The guy ended up plugging me into an Ashdown Tour bus, so after I badgered him into letting me try it through a worthwhile amp, still out on the shop floor right next time their radio system so had some god awful feedback coming through I decided yes this is the bass I wanna buy but I don't want the mapleglo finish, so I hand the 4003 over to him and he instantly scanned it into the till and said how are you paying for it. I walked out and I am NEVER going to go back in there! Horrible shop, rubbish stock of a few Fenders, millions of ESPs and Ibanez basses with the occasional MM or Ric.

Note to Nevada store guy, that is not how to give customer service and convince someone to buy from you!
[/quote]

You don't at any point mention what you actually said to him, such as instead of [i]letting it slide[/i], saying "Yeah, if I like it, but not in that colour"? Or did you say that when you handed it back?
I've had good bad and indifferent service in many kind of shop, but it's a two way street. If you don't tell them what you're looking for & in what colour you could - to them - be just another Saturday afternoon widdler about to make a £1300+ bass into an ex-demo discounted item.

[i]edit: This is just an obv in general, not just directed at you JamesBass just because I quoted you.[/i]
Any shop I've used on a regular basis will know my name & I'll know some of theirs. If a newbie staff is a bit off I'll look through them at one I know & speak with them directly. If they're not available then make sure you're there at a time where you're not in a rush (you'd have to anyway to give an item a decent run through right?) & wait until one of them that you have got time for is available.
The UK is notorious for bad customer service, so yes there are courses available for it which many no-hopers are being pushed into by this Govt. That won't improve matters though because you don't get much back in this country when an unqualified kid who doesn't want to be there, paid minimum wage - or less - is facing you.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Big_Stu

[TimR]

It seems strange that anyone should need training in customer service. It really should be a case of treating people the same way that you would expect to be treated yourself. This is something we should all do as a matter of course. All bass players are in the service industry and should treat our clients well, or our bands won't get rebooked. I'm sure we've all been in bands where we've had to keep certain band members away from the client.

Surely you employ someone in your business who already has these qualities or has the UK sunk so low that there's noone left. Seems mad to me.

[The Admiral]

When are we going to start handing out Basschat Bad Service Awards to the MDs of these companies? It strikes me that a cohort of thousands of uk based customers, who all spend too much money on gear, should be a segment of the customer base which has some teeth. If I owned one of these shops I'd start taking this very seriously, as indeed I'm sure they actually would now if they knew. Witness the power of Mumsnet : they've got the political parties shitting themselves because they know that women with children are notorious swing voters and things like Child Tax Credit have become big political issues as a consequence.

We could even have a pro forma email where you could just fill in the blanks.

Dear MD

Today I visited your xxxxxxxxxx shop with the intention of spending £xxxxxx on xxxxxxxxx.

I spent no money due to the appalling service I received,

Last year I spent £xxxxxxx on equipment and as such would imagine you would want my business and be the kind of customer you wish to both attract and keep. If you are interested in the details of this incidence of poor service, which has lost my business to your company I can be contacted on xxxxxxxxx

Or something akin to that!

[xgsjx]

Just buy the iPad & be done with it.
You can get some awesome music software for it too & Animoog & all the Korg software are 1/2 price until the New Year!

[4-string-thing]

I wonder if this just happens in guitar/bass departments? I used to run a little studio, and as such, used to buy lots of keyboards and recording gear from a large outlet that had a "High Tech" department as well as the guitar/bass/drum sections. The manager of the high tech department was a brilliant young guy called Ryan, and we were on first name terms, talked a lot about football etc, etc. We got on very well and I always got brilliant customer service from him, he even used to ring me when they got gear in that he thought I would be interested in. I bought a lot of studio gear over a two year period and spent a lot of money.

By contrast, the people who ran the guitar department were typical guitarists (I know I'll get flamed for that) rude, egotistical, ignorant, lazy and selfish. They would sit there widdling away on whatever strat/les paul they could reach without stretching too much, through some loud stack, annoying everyone else in the shop. Generally ignoring potential customers and moaning if you dared to ask them a question, or worse, asking to try some gear.

The place went bust.

I hope Ryan got a better job though!

[molan]

Should have popped into Bassgear - I was minding the fort today

Dealt with one happy customer by telling him his custom ordered Carvin was ready 2 weeks early and then spent a cheerful half an hour discussing the merits of Chris Squire and Mike Rutherford, The joys of trying to get a good sound out of a classic Ricky, how to play Moog Taurus pedals etc etc.

I love just chatting all things bass with customers when they come in or call the shop - I can never understand these people who work in guitar shops and can't be bothered to spend time with potential customers or give them help and advice on potential purchases.

[The Admiral]

[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1356630550' post='1911836']
I wonder if this just happens in guitar/bass departments? I used to run a little studio, and as such, used to buy lots of keyboards and recording gear from a large outlet that had a "High Tech" department as well as the guitar/bass/drum sections. The manager of the high tech department was a brilliant young guy called Ryan, and we were on first name terms, talked a lot about football etc, etc. We got on very well and I always got brilliant customer service from him, he even used to ring me when they got gear in that he thought I would be interested in. I bought a lot of studio gear over a two year period and spent a lot of money.

By contrast, the people who ran the guitar department were typical guitarists (I know I'll get flamed for that) rude, egotistical, ignorant, lazy and selfish. They would sit there widdling away on whatever strat/les paul they could reach without stretching too much, through some loud stack, annoying everyone else in the shop. Generally ignoring potential customers and moaning if you dared to ask them a question, or worse, asking to try some gear.

The place went bust.

I hope Ryan got a better job though!
[/quote]

Hate to say it, but the biggest problem with music shops is that they employ musicians, who, with notable exceptions are more interested in showing how much better a player they are than the customers, who keep on interrupting their public ego w*nking. This is IMHO particularly true of guitar players, and, dare I say it , the odd bassist too IME. I can't think of any other industry which would tolerate this.

[ezbass]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1356628890' post='1911816']
It really should be a case of treating people the same way that you would expect to be treated yourself. This is something we should all do as a matter of course
[/quote]I agree, but unfortunately for the most part we seem to have turned into a 'me' society. Just take a look at the way people walk down the street, drive and carry on in general. It's not just a generational thing either, I'm often appalled at the selfish behaviour displayed by people of all ages. I'd like to think it's a major conurbation affliction, but I've seen it displayed in some fairly remote places too.

[4-string-thing]

[quote name='The Admiral' timestamp='1356630974' post='1911842']
Hate to say it, but the biggest problem with music shops is that they employ musicians, who, with notable exceptions are more interested in showing how much better a player they are than the customers, who keep on interrupting their public ego w*nking. This is IMHO particularly true of guitar players, and, dare I say it , the odd bassist too IME. I can't think of any other industry which would tolerate this.
[/quote]

I agree, I can understand that you probably need to be a guitarist to demonstrate guitars to customers (though not really, as long as its set up properly) but employing musicians as salespeople really isn't such a good idea... You probably couldn't find anyone more unreliable! (this is in my experience as band member and studio owner)

Now, a shop staffed entirely by bass players would be a completely different matter....

[gafbass02]

Yeah, reckon ill get the ipad the gent in this case is rather 'advanced in years' and has been a fixture of said well known cheltenham shop for many years. While I of all people know how soul destroying retail can be I've rarely had anything but grumpiness in this shop.

[Jimryan]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1356626727' post='1911791']
Went into Nevada Music last week as it is my local shop and I'm looking for my next bass, luckily they had a 4003 this time and I asked to try it out and the first thing the guy said was, "You actually gonna buy something then?" I thought I'll let it slide as I can't really get elsewhere currently due to lack of transport. The guy ended up plugging me into an Ashdown Tour bus, so after I badgered him into letting me try it through a worthwhile amp, still out on the shop floor right next time their radio system so had some god awful feedback coming through I decided yes this is the bass I wanna buy but I don't want the mapleglo finish, so I hand the 4003 over to him and he instantly scanned it into the till and said how are you paying for it. I walked out and I am NEVER going to go back in there! Horrible shop, rubbish stock of a few Fenders, millions of ESPs and Ibanez basses with the occasional MM or Ric.

Note to Nevada store guy, that is not how to give customer service and convince someone to buy from you!
[/quote]

I get a pretty similar experience in there which is why I try to avoid them. They were always rude in the old north end shop years ago too. If I really must use them, I'll buy on their webpage and then go and collect it as they're next to my house.

Jamesbass - you're better off going and speaking to george at PJ's guitar on Highland road in Southsea. They've looked after me for years and he had a Ricky quite recently too.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

You said you wanted an ipad. The guy in the shop sounded ok tbh. You came out unscathed, so now buy the ipad and merge it with your bass. Job done .)

[Musicman20]

We should start naming and shaming. Then writing to them as noted above. It's in their interest.

[iconic]

So what is the iPad you bought like?

[gafbass02]

Not got it yet, gonna wait a few days and decide wether to go for an ipad 2, or refurbed ipad 3

[yepmop]

[quote name='Jimryan' timestamp='1356640354' post='1911994']
I get a pretty similar experience in there which is why I try to avoid them. They were always rude in the old north end shop years ago too. If I really must use them, I'll buy on their webpage and then go and collect it as they're next to my house.

Jamesbass - you're better off going and speaking to george at PJ's guitar on Highland road in Southsea. They've looked after me for years and he had a Ricky quite recently too.
[/quote]

Totally agree, PJ's although smaller wipes the floor customer service wise.
I remember buying my son's first guitar there, they were very helpful and chatty. Nevada are so far up their own arses I don't go there any more either, sooner buy my strings etc off Amazon, cheaper and no salesman to deal with plus Nevada never stock flats!!!!!!.

[Bigjas]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1356626727' post='1911791']
Went into Nevada Music last week as it is my local shop and I'm looking for my next bass, luckily they had a 4003 this time and I asked to try it out and the first thing the guy said was, "You actually gonna buy something then?" I thought I'll let it slide as I can't really get elsewhere currently due to lack of transport. The guy ended up plugging me into an Ashdown Tour bus, so after I badgered him into letting me try it through a worthwhile amp, still out on the shop floor right next time their radio system so had some god awful feedback coming through I decided yes this is the bass I wanna buy but I don't want the mapleglo finish, so I hand the 4003 over to him and he instantly scanned it into the till and said how are you paying for it. I walked out and I am NEVER going to go back in there! Horrible shop, rubbish stock of a few Fenders, millions of ESPs and Ibanez basses with the occasional MM or Ric.

Note to Nevada store guy, that is not how to give customer service and convince someone to buy from you!
[/quote]

I had a very similar experience in this shop a few years ago. It's not what I call a traditional music shop, it's the supermarket of music shops. If I want service then I go to a smaller shop, the downside of that is they don't carry as much stock. I have been using the guitar and amp shop in Bognor for the last few years, it's more than twice the distance for me to travel but at least I get good old fashioned customer service from people who actually want my business. It's a shame that some of the larger stores can't get such a simple thing right, Nevada could be such a great store if they got the right staff in there.

Jas